Burial apparatus.



` -PATRNTRDMAY..24,1904.

w. J. BARRETT. -RURIAL APPARATUS.-

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 4, 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

v1=.AJPBNTI :D'MAY 24, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET z.

No. 760,773. W. J. l BARRETT.

BURIAL APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 4, 1903.

N0 .'MODEL.

l I Invenor:

, UNITED STATES Patented May 24, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

* BURIAL,.APPAR.ATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part oi Letters Patent No. 760,773, dated May .24,` 1904.

l Application filed J' une 4, 1903. Serial No. 160,0764. lNo model.)

To @o7/ Z whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, WESLEY J. BARRETT, of Marion, in the county of Wayne and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Burial Apparatus, which improvement isfully set forth in the following specification and shown in the accompanying drawings. i a

My invention is a lowering apparatus or an apparatus for suspending and lowering heavy bodies orweights, such as coiiins, the rnechanism of the apparatus being such that the rate of 'fall .of the descending bodyis wholly under the control of the attendant even to entirely stopping its downward motion.

This apparatus is simple in construction and not costly to produce and is convenient and easily operated and controlled. It is adapted for various uses, as will be readily understood, being herewith shown as applied to the undertakers use' in the form of a burial apparatus for lowering caskets gently and easily into grave-openings.

The invention is hereinafter fully described, and more particularly'pointed outin the'claims',

' referencel vbeing had in this speciication to the accompanying drawings, forming apart thereof. l.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the apparatus as 'in use at a burial,l parts being broken away and thev frame horizontally sectionedl on the dotted line 1 `1 in Fig. 6. Fig. 2 .is a plan of the power-cylinder and associated parts, parts bein-g broken away and thecylinder and other parts horizontally sectioned along the axis of the cylinder. rewinding thexsuspension-bands and bringing other lparts of the device to their normal positions. Fig. 3 is a planof the plunger and lplunger-rod, parts being broken away and other parts horizontally and axially sectioned. Fig. 4 is an Aend view of the plunger seen as indicated by arrow in Fig. 3, the rod being in part broken away and transversely sectioned as on the dotted lineat the point of the arrow. Fig. 5 is an .end View of the plunger-rod seen in'a direction opposite to that v 'in-which Fig. 4 is seen, showing the ball-bearing partly broken away. Fig. 6 is a vertical transverse section of the. frame, taken on the Fig. 2t shows the crank for dotted line 6K6` inA Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is anfaxial y plunger-rod andthe adjacent end of the coacting winding-shaft, taken as on the dotted 6o away. Fig. 10 is a transverse section ofthe` line 10 in Fig. 7. Fig. 11 is a side elevation f lof the joined ends of the'sections of a suspension-band seen as indicated-by arrow-11A in Fig.,1. Figs. 1, 2, 2%, 6, 8, and 9 are drawn to various scales smaller and Fig. 11 to a scale larger than thatof Figs. 3, 4, 5, 7, and 10.

' In the drawings, A, Figs. 1,6, 8, and 9,-is la hollow rectangular `iiat frame, preferably of wood, having a large rectangular opening, Ov

at the middle'and holding in its hollow sides fand ends the working parts of the apparatus. vThis frame-when in use at a burial 'is placed horizontally upon the ground to lsurround or inclose the grave B, Fig. 1, the width of the Iopening O in the frame corresponding substantially with that of the grave. Within the hollow sides of the frame A are twoI parallel horizontal coacting shafts C D, Figs. 1, 2, 6, 9, and 10, resting in bearings b, rigid in the frame.y These shafts are connected at one end kof the frame by a crossed chain d, Figs. 1 and 6, running on sprockets a L on the respective shafts, `so that both shafts must turn together ,and in opposite directions. f

A pair of suspension-bands or Suspenders fjl'Figs. 1, 9, and 11, in joined sections for* holding the casket or body F1, have their inner ends secured to the shafts C D, respectively, in a manner to be wound thereon, as shown. These bands cross the opening O in the frame at right angles, emerging into the respective hollowsides of the frame through small hori zontal openings@ and in a 4manner connect the two shafts. The meeting ends of vthe sections of the bands under the middle of the body E are provided with metallic hoops or grips@ e, which after the casket is down and thebands slightly slackened will unlock or let go, so the detached sections may be again drawn up by a turningv of the shafts C D. The lbands f rest upon antifriction-rollers g, Figs. 1 and 9, held by hangers /usecured within the frame, the ends of the bands being secured to the respective shafts -by some simple means, as clamps e'.

In use for the purpose shown the suspending-bandsff primarily reach across the grave B substantially horizontal with the. casket resting thereon, as shown in Fig. 1, the inner ends ofthe bands being wound in rolls upon the respective shafts C D, the weight of the casket serving to turn the two shafts inward, unrolling the bands therefrom as the casket descends to the bottom of the excavation. To regulate the descent of the casket or body, I employ a checking-cylinder F, Figs. 1, 2, and 8, in the frame coaxial with the shaft C, having leadslc Z and filled with a suitable liquid, as o1 f G, Figs. 2 3, and 4, is a plunger within the cylinder having lan axial rod H threaded through the head c, Fig. 7 with its forward end entering the adjacent end of the shaft C, Figsl, 2, 7, and 10, which is hollow, as shown.

I is a side pipe connected with the two heads of the cylinder and forming a continuous passage for the oil from either end of the cylinder to the other, so that as the plunger is moved one way or the other longitudinally within the cylinder the oil mayv iiow forward or backward to correspond. The outer end of the plunger-rod H is formed with a longitudinal Igroove or race m and theadjaeent part of thehollow shaft C with an inturned spline or feather a to occupy and traverse the race mas the rod moves longitudinally in the shaft. p l l N ow it will be understood that though the plunger-rod H may move longitudinallywithin the shaft C both must turn together, and when the shaft is turnedvby the weight of the body E, as stated, the rod will also turn and on account of its threaded bearing in the head 7c cause the plunger G to travel-in the cylinder. Normally, to illustrate, Lthe ,plunger stands at the rear' end of the cylinder, as appearsl in Fig. 2, and when the rod H is turned by the revolving shaft toward the left the plunger will 'be drawn forward,4 forcingy the oil in front of it through the side pipe I in the direction indicated by the arrow 0, and, it will be understood, the plunger can move no faster than it is ableto displace the oilthe latter escaping through Ithe pipe I, asstated. A stop-valve K vof ordinary kind and construction, Figs. 2 and 8, is inserted in the 'pipe I,

through which the oil must pass, 'a handwheel L, Figs. land 2, Without the frame enabling the attendant to regulate the open-r ing through the valve, and so the lrate atwhich the oil may passthrough it, and accordingly control at will the rate of the descentof the casket into the grave. By wholly closing the passage through the valve the casket lnay be stopped in its descent.

To rewind the suspending-bands 'fonto the shafts C D and return the plunger to its normal position at the rear end of the cylinder, a crank N, Fig. 2f, is employed in connection with an enlarged part p, Figs. 1 and 6, rigid with the shaft C. The crank is formed with a square part r, and the part p is made with a corresponding square longitudinal socket s to receive the part fr, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, by means of which and the chain Zboth shafts and the rod .H may be turned in a direction opposite to that in which they were turned by the Weight of the casket, as stated. The part r of the crank is inserted through an opening (not shown) in the outer part of the frame A opposite the socket s, and when the shaft C is being\turned by the crank and the plunger G moves backward the oil 'in the rear end of the cylinder flows into the front end of the eylind er through the pipe I, as indicated by dotted arrows in Figs. 2 and 7. l

The front head kof the cylinder F is formed with a lengthened axial part z5, Figs. 2 and 7, extending inwardly in the cylinder and threaded at its free end, upon which is mounted an internally-threaded packing-box u, inclosing a body of packing material o around the threaded rod H, as shown, to prevent the escaping of the oil along the rod. Also to cause the parts within the cylinder to act with minimum friction I provide a ball-bearing between the plunger G and the inner end of the plunger-rod H. (Shown in Figs. 3 and The rod H is fitted to turn freely in the frame lw of the plunger, and is reduced at a to receive .upon it a cup :v to hold bearingballs y. An outer part or ca i ,a is threaded onto the part a to complete the inelosure for the balls, the cap .e being rigid with Ithe rod H, while the latter turns freely in the cup m, By means of this provision and the construction of the parts the rod H is permitted to turn freely in the plunger, the latter not revolving, but merely sliding longitudinally in the cylinder when the device is operating.

rEhe plunger is preferably constructed, as shown, with afree metal ring Fig, 3, and two fibrous rings c', encircling an imperforate hollow head 0l', upon the open end of which head the frame w is threaded to hold the parts together. v

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

, l. A lowering apparatus comprising a pair of shafts arranged parallel with each other, Suspenders for holding the weight to be lowered wound upon and connecting the shafts, means for causing the shafts to turn sixnultaneously in opposite directions, a cylinder for holding liquid, a plunger in said cylinder, means connecting the plunger with one of the IOO IIO

' lowered wound upon and connecting the two e between the plunger and the plunger-rod.

shafts, a cylinder coaxial with one of said Shafts having heads for holding a liquid, a plunger in the'cylinder, an axial rod threaded through a head of the cylinder and telescopically connecting the plunger with said coaxial shaft, said rodbeingformed with a grooved end to enter the shaft, anda feather in the shaft to occupy the groove and a ball-,bearing 3. lA lowering apparatus comprising a pair of parallel shafts, Suspenders for holding the Y' weight to be lowered wound upon and connecting said shafts, means for causing the shafts to turn simultaneously in opposite directions, a cylinder coaxial with one shaft of the-pair and'having heads for holding liquid, one head having an axial internally-threaded part extending within the cylinder, a packingbox for the rod at the end of said inwardlyextending part, a plunger, a threaded rod telescopically connected with the plunger and engaging the threads of said internally-extended part of the head, the outerend of said rod. having a longitudinal groove,.said groove being engaged by a spline carried by the said coaxial shaft the plunger having a frame in which the plunger-rod freely turns, said rod being reduced, a cup onsaid reduced part, balls in said cup, and an outer part threaded on said reduced-part and rigid with the rod.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my p hand, this 27th day of May, 1903, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

lWESLEY J. BARRETT.

Witnesses:

ENos B. WHITMORE, MINNIE SMrTH. 

